Emg Results

[ruby]

Just had my EMG done on my neck it is negative for carpal tunnel but positve at the C6-7 for bilateral nerve impingement.

I can't do another claim until this current one is decided, but I will be working on this claim to have it ready to send if this one is ever done. I will give it a couple of more months then I am going to file for the neck and headaches.

To make sure I am doing this right do I have to file for a change in dx to IVDS instead of cervical arthritis

Can I get the following approved it I ask for them as secondary to the SC cervical arthritis and not change the DX if I submit my claim for headaches and Bilateral Nerve Impingement (medial nerve) I gather the impingement is moderate to severe--will get the report on Monday but the doc implied it was mod-severe.

I am going to start with an Epidural and trigger injections next month. I am starting traction this week. I am hoping this can buy me some time as I do not want surgery.

I plan on telling them the percentage I want any recommendations. I have other neurological deficits possibly bladder problems (who know its could be other things causing this problem) but I have been ask by 2 Doc's if I was experiencing this problem after they reviewed the test results. I thought the bladder was due to my lower back issues. I have some weakness in my arms but not severe. I can still hold a coffee cup, but I do lose my balance at times, supposely this may be the result of the impingements.

What all do I ask for and what recommendations does anyone have that I get the docs to document. They already documented the prostrating headaches by 2 docs .

Thanks for any advice.

[ruby]

ruby....im not the rating specialist on this forum. but i did have some thoughts for you. first you might want to read the spine exam on the forum.

http://www.hadit.com/forums/index.php?show...226&hl=IVDS

i thought this was cool. you have a negative emg for cts. you had a positive exam in the 80's. emg technology has vastly improved over testing in the 80's. yet even today, neuro docs without the certification to perform an emg can turn out some inaccurate work. do you have bilateral cts?

atrophy of the thenar emminence can have its etiology in simple disuse. the is a small bone in the thumb that often is subject to cartilage effacement and can cause great pain. i have had bilateral surgery on my thumbs for this and they both failed. cts is related to impiingement of median nerve at wrist level. not in your neck.

i can't tell what the real physical complaint is. a spurling maneuver tests the integrity of the cervical spine. doc indicates this is positive----but what bilateral = yes leaves me unsure whether you have left deficit or none. bladder incontience? not sure again. bladder incontinence controlled by thoracic and lumber nerves. bladder sphincter and muscles are involved in incontinence. people actually get emgs of their badder sphincters (shudddddddddddder). bladder incontinence has numerous etiologies...not all related to your cervical vertebra. for example childbirth or stroke.

im sorry, i don't think im being much help.

Pattik,

Thanks for the help and yes you did help.

Years ago in the 80's I complained of numbness in my hands, I had an emg by the VA and I have the copies that said I had bilateral carpal tunnel, I have used braces for years as I don't want surgery. When I had my SSD exam the doctor for SS said not to let anyone cut on me unless they do another EMG, he thought I had severe tendonitis in my thumbs and not CTS.

The emg was actually to confirm the impingement was in the neck and not the elbow. When I bend my arms my hands go to sleep. The emg confirmed I have impingement at the C6,C7 level the MRI says its at the C5-6 level.

I have constant headaches at night and they wake me up. They said its due to the impingement-that is all the docs, the rheum, pain and neurologist. I am suppose to wear a soft collar but others tell me not to its a catch 22, the soft collar is for a couple of hours before I go to bed to see if it will help with the headaches, it hasn't, so they are doing traction to see if that helps.

I know while I was in traction the numbness in the ring finger diminshed but not the pinky. It came back within minutes of stopping the traction.

Everyone has asked if I have bladder problems which I do, again, no one can tell me what it is from and no way am I have an emg on my bladder. They all say when you start having incontience yoy need to have surgery. OK, what kind of incontience are they talking about, when I think I need to go to the bathroom, I had better be in the bathroom. Then they all say well it could be lots of reasons, yea, I know that but how do I tell what its related too, no answer to that one.

Then they all say when you lose strength in your arms then get surgery. It is well documented my strength has diminished, but not severely. I do not want surgery. It rarely works and causes other problems. I don't want to become paralyzed.

Spurling test is + on the left so it means it stable, does that mean my right isn't? (the MRI says its worse on the right not left) but my symptoms are worse on the left--who knows?

+ok sign what does that mean I can do an OK sign as I can I hope that is good, what makes me think the + is bad is the notation of +bilateral thenar atrophy--that is not good--then she says I have give away weakness of the biceps and detoids is this due to the emg results when she had me push and pull against resistance with that dang needle in my arm-that really wasn't pleasant.

The problem is no one will tell me what all this means for months, I don't have another appointment with anyone until January. Trying to do my own detective work first so I know if they are trying to pull one over on me, or they just don't know.

Thanks you did help me.

[hotcoffee2]

kiddo. now i understand better. let me look up some stuff. i hate to tell you this, but i had 5 emg for peripheral neuropathy---all negative. three emgs apply to my claim. so these things can be very deceptive. you mentioned rheum.....what is your dx? autoimmune diseases cause all sorts of tingling, numbness, pain.

i have to go pick up dinner. write back. also please again provide quote starting with or lord that s word and go write the rest. there are url for testing cts, especially by hand surgeons. this is a peripheral nerve problem, not CNS. neurologists are supposed to handle headaches. yes, the needle does hurt doesn't it. but it is the most difficult part of the emg/ncs (nerve conduction study).

let's see if we can figure this out.

Pattik,

Thanks for the help and yes you did help.

Years ago in the 80's I complained of numbness in my hands, I had an emg by the VA and I have the copies that said I had bilateral carpal tunnel, I have used braces for years as I don't want surgery. When I had my SSD exam the doctor for SS said not to let anyone cut on me unless they do another EMG, he thought I had severe tendonitis in my thumbs and not CTS.

The emg was actually to confirm the impingement was in the neck and not the elbow. When I bend my arms my hands go to sleep. The emg confirmed I have impingement at the C6,C7 level the MRI says its at the C5-6 level.

I have constant headaches at night and they wake me up. They said its due to the impingement-that is all the docs, the rheum, pain and neurologist. I am suppose to wear a soft collar but others tell me not to its a catch 22, the soft collar is for a couple of hours before I go to bed to see if it will help with the headaches, it hasn't, so they are doing traction to see if that helps.

I know while I was in traction the numbness in the ring finger diminshed but not the pinky. It came back within minutes of stopping the traction.

Everyone has asked if I have bladder problems which I do, again, no one can tell me what it is from and no way am I have an emg on my bladder. They all say when you start having incontience yoy need to have surgery. OK, what kind of incontience are they talking about, when I think I need to go to the bathroom, I had better be in the bathroom. Then they all say well it could be lots of reasons, yea, I know that but how do I tell what its related too, no answer to that one.

Then they all say when you lose strength in your arms then get surgery. It is well documented my strength has diminished, but not severely. I do not want surgery. It rarely works and causes other problems. I don't want to become paralyzed.

Spurling test is + on the left so it means it stable, does that mean my right isn't? (the MRI says its worse on the right not left) but my symptoms are worse on the left--who knows?

+ok sign what does that mean I can do an OK sign as I can I hope that is good, what makes me think the + is bad is the notation of +bilateral thenar atrophy--that is not good--then she says I have give away weakness of the biceps and detoids is this due to the emg results when she had me push and pull against resistance with that dang needle in my arm-that really wasn't pleasant.

The problem is no one will tell me what all this means for months, I don't have another appointment with anyone until January. Trying to do my own detective work first so I know if they are trying to pull one over on me, or they just don't know.

Thanks you did help me.

[hotcoffee2]

i suggest a hand surgeon. mine gave no credance to emgs. cts is the median nerve. pinky numbness is the ulnar nerve. again peripheral nerves. i don't think you are going to get a rating on this information. i would see hand surgeon. most vamc's don't have hand surgeon's, they fee out.

also arm weakness surprisingly enough can be related to some depresseions. see severe major depression 'atypical' and autoimmune diseases. good luck.

kiddo. now i understand better. let me look up some stuff. i hate to tell you this, but i had 5 emg for peripheral neuropathy---all negative. three emgs apply to my claim. so these things can be very deceptive. you mentioned rheum.....what is your dx? autoimmune diseases cause all sorts of tingling, numbness, pain.

i have to go pick up dinner. write back. also please again provide quote starting with or lord that s word and go write the rest. there are url for testing cts, especially by hand surgeons. this is a peripheral nerve problem, not CNS. neurologists are supposed to handle headaches. yes, the needle does hurt doesn't it. but it is the most difficult part of the emg/ncs (nerve conduction study).

let's see if we can figure this out.

[john999]

If you have other insurance go get an opinion from a hand specialist. Don't wait for the VA to do an exam. Their exams are often of poor quality. You have to be your own advocate with all doctors. You have to push them to get the care you need.

[jbasser]

A sperlings test + neans the sperlings manuver was performed on you and the results were posative. It is a foraminal compression test. A posative test means that you have what the EMG said you did.

There is likely no Auto Immune disorder. The tests for Carpal tunnel measure the speed of th e electricity as it opassses through the nerves.

Misses in carpal tunnel are very common.

You have the evidence to be have this rated as a secondary to the cervical arthritis as the arthritis has caused the Nueroforamen to become narrowed and is pinching the nerves to at pass through it. This effects the meylin or nerve coverings. Continuois ruybbing against bone as it tears the nerves up.

You dont need to change the claim, The VA mnost likely wont. You are better off getting the arthritis connected then the nerves as they are to be rated separately.

J

[ruby]

A sperlings test + neans the sperlings manuver was performed on you and the results were posative. It is a foraminal compression test. A posative test means that you have what the EMG said you did.

There is likely no Auto Immune disorder. The tests for Carpal tunnel measure the speed of th e electricity as it opassses through the nerves.

Misses in carpal tunnel are very common.

You have the evidence to be have this rated as a secondary to the cervical arthritis as the arthritis has caused the Nueroforamen to become narrowed and is pinching the nerves to at pass through it. This effects the meylin or nerve coverings. Continuois ruybbing against bone as it tears the nerves up.

You dont need to change the claim, The VA mnost likely wont. You are better off getting the arthritis connected then the nerves as they are to be rated separately.

J

Thanks everyone,

I am SC for cervical arthritis (traumatic) 20% for ROM.

I am trying to get the docs to write exactly what I need. 2 wrote "prostrating headaches" see mri results--didn't mention --100% related to sc cervical arthritis or more likely then not

I have an appt in Jan with the Pain doc and with the Rheum--

I would like to know the exact terminology for them to write if anyone knows.

Like - prostrating headaches and bilateral radiculopathy is more likely than not related to the sc cervical arthritis OR prostrating heaches and bilateral radiculopathy is 100% related to the sc cervical arthritis.

what is the best terminology to use, sometimes it is difficult to get them to use a % but I have in the past.

Can you get muscle spasms service connected as secondary if so under what section, or is that related to pain. as they all have stated the muscle spasms are related to the neck.

I am getting this claim denial proof. I have been screwing with the VA for several years on another claim, because I didn't ask for the right stuff from the begininng, neither did the DAV. It's been a nightmare since trying to fix it.---I will play thier game with all thier rules, thieir way.

Thanks for any suggestions.